Half to charles strand and edward carlson



No. 623,665. Patented Apr.25, I899. N. HOCKERSUN, JR.

POLE AND NECK YUKE COUPLING.

(Application filed Nov. 19, 1898.) (No Model.)

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Patented A-pr. v25, I899. N. HUCKEBSUN, 1R. POLE AND NECK YOKE COUPLING.

(Application filed Nov. 19, 1898.)

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TN 0. Pnoruumu. WASH No. 623,665. Patented Apr. 25, I899. N. HOCKERSON, In. POLE AND NECK YDKE COUPLING.

(Application filed. Nov. 19, 189B.)

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FFIQEQ NELS IIOOKERSON, JR, OF MARINE MILLS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HATJF TO CHARLES STRAND AND EDWARD OARLSON, OF SAME PLACE.

POLE AND NECK-YOKE COUPLING.

sPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent N0. 623,665, dated April 25, 1 899.

Application filed November 19, 1398- Serial No. 696,912. (No model.)

To all whmit it Hui/7 concern:

lie it known that I, NELS HOCKERSON, Jr. acitizen of the United States,residing at Marine Mills, in the county of \Vashington and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pole and Neck-Yoke Couplings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othro ers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its object to provide an improved device for 'detachably securing a neck-yoke to the end of the pole of a vehicle,

which device shall be simple in construction,

serviceable and durable, and easily manipulated.

To these ends my invention consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings,wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Figure 1 is a view in right side elevation, showing the end of a pole and a portion of a neck-yoke with my improved coupling device applied thereto, some parts being broken away. Fig. 2 is a very similar view to Fig. 1,

but illustrates slightly-different positions of certain parts. Fig. 3 shows the pole in side elevation and the neck-yoke in vertical section, said neck-yoke being turned into its coupled or horizontal position. Fig. 4c is a similar view to Fig. 2, but illustrates the neckyoke as turned reverse end up. Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical section taken approximately on the line 00 90 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 shows the end of the pole principally in vertical 4o longitudinal section, but partly in side elevation. Fig. 7 shows in horizontal section and plan the parts shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 8 illustrates another form of the coupling and shows the pole in side elevation and the neck-yoke in transverse section. Fig. 9 is a section taken substantially on the line 00' x of Fig. 8, and Fig. 10 is a front end view of the pole.

1 indicates an ordinary pole, the end of which is provided with a sleeve or socket-like 5o casting 2.

3 indicates a neck-yoke provided with a shell-like socket or keeper 4 and, as shown, also'with a front plate 5.

The construction illustrated in Figs. 1 to 7, inclusive, will first be described. In this con- 5 struction the socket 4 is provided with an irregular passage or entrance, which is formed by a semicircular section (5, having a central extension '7 extending from its straight side. The pole-tip casting 2 is provided in its outer end with a seat 8, in which the stem 9 of a coupling-head 10 is pivoted by means of a pin 11. In this construction the coupling-head 10 may be circular or approximately of such .form, and its engagement with the socket 4 of the neck-yoke is effected by passing the said head 10 through the semicircular opening 6. To accomplish this, it is necessary to turn the neck-yoke in a vertical plane and incline the same, as shown in Fig. 1, and then to move either the neck-yoke or the tongue,

so that the coupling-head 10 will pass through the said opening 6 at the angle indicated in said Fig. 1. The pole-tip casting 2 is pro-. vided with a stop-lug or guard 12, which projects from the upper portion of the same, and while it permits the entrance of the couplinghead 10 when the neck-yoke is turned asshown in Fig. 1 it will not permit such engagement to take place when the neck-yoke So is turned with its opposite end up. Obviously this is because the said stop or lug l2 prevents the neck-yoke from being turned to a reverse angle to that shown in Fig. 1.

WVhen the coupling-head 10 is inserted as 8 shown in Fig. 2, the neck-yoke may be turned into ahorizontal position, as shown in Fig. 3, and when so turned will be interlocked with the socket 4 in such manner that it cannot possibly be disengaged while in such position.

It is often Very desirable to use the neckyoke as a means for holding up the end of the pole when the vehicle is not in use. Vhen this is to be done, the neck-yoke is turned reverse end up from that shown in Fig. 1, and as shown in Fig. 4. By reference to this figure it will be noted that the lug or stop 12 engages the socket4 and prevents the neck-yoke from being turned into such an angle with respect to the pole as would permit of the disengagement of the coupling-head 10 from the keeper 1. Hence in this position the neckof the coupling device.

yoke cannot be uncoupled accidentally or otherwise. In fact, as already indicated, the neck-yoke can be uncoupled from the pole in one position only-to wit, in that position indicated in Fig. 1.

As the stem 9 of the coupler-head 1.0 is pivoted to the pole-casting 2, the neck-yoke when turned in its horizontal position, which position it of course occupies when the draft-animals are hitched thereto, is free to move or oscillate in a horizontal plane, and this is accomplished without requiring an objectionable amount of clearance between the parts In the construction illustrated the pole-casting 2 is provided with a second stop or lug 13, located below the lug or stop 12; but this latter stop 13 is so much shorter than said stop 12 that it permits the neck-yoke to be turned to the proper coupling angle, as shown in said Fig. 1.

In the construction illustrated in Figs. 8, O, and 10 the socket or keeper 4 is provided with an approximately oblong passage 11, and in the seat 8 in the end of the pole-casting 2 the stem 15 of an elongated coupling-head 1G is pivoted in the manner illustrated in the previously-described construction. The coupling-head 16 is of such dimensions that it may be readily passed through the passage or perforation 11 of the socket 4 when the neckyoke is turned in a vertical plane and inclined at approximately the angle illustrated in Fig. 1; but the said head and socket will be interlocked when the said neck-yoke is turned horizontal or approximately horizontal. In this latter-described construction the lug or stop 12 acts very much as it did in the previously-described construction; but the nature of the coupling is such that the parts may be coupled in two different positions of the neck-yoke instead of only in one, as in the said previously-described construction.

In the construction illustrated in Figs. 8, f), and 10 I have shown the pole-tip casting 2 as provided with a depending stop-lug 17, to which a link 18 is pivoted. The link 18 is adapted to support one end of a draft-rod in case one or more horses are hitched ahead of the team which is hitched to the neck-yoke. The stop-lug 17 adapts the pole for cooperation with an ordinary neck-yoke.

The coupling above described is simple, ef-

fieient, strong, and durable, and the fact that the neck-yoke is applied directly to the end of the pole makes it impossible for the reins to be caught by the end of the pole, and thus removes the source of many accidents.

It will of course be understood that I do not limit myself to the details of construction above specifically described, but, on the contrary, that my invention is capable of modification as to detail.

\Vhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is as follows:

1. In a neck-yoke and pole coupling, the combination with a socket on the neck-yoke, having an irregularperforation or passage, of a coupling-head on the end of a pole of such dimensions that it may be passed through the perforation in said socket and interlocked therewith by rotation, and the projecting stop portions 12, and 13 on the pole, the former projecting farther than the latter and serving to prevent the disengagement of the inter- ].ocked parts in certain positions, substantially as described.

2. In a neck-yoke and pole coupling, the combination with a coupling-head on the end of the pole, of the socket on the neck-yoke, having a perforation elongated in one direction to permit the passage of said couplinghead, and the stop projections 12 and 13 on the end of said pole, the former projecting farther than the latter and operating substantially as described.

3. Aneck-yoke and pole coupling, comprising a socket on the neck-yoke, and a couplinghead detachably interlocking with said socket and having a stem portion pivoted to the end of the pole, for lateral oscillations, substantially as described.

4. The combination with the pole provided at its end with the projecting stops 12 and 13 and the pivoted coupling-head f), 10, of the neck-yoke provided with the socket 4 having the irregular perforation 6, 7, the said parts operating substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

NELS IIOCKERSON, JR.

\Vitnesses:

FRANK SANDERS, OSCAR 1-1. RYDEEN. 

